Thursday, September 25, 2008

I am part of a program called Bzzz Agent. They send out products for everyday people to try and share with others. It's a great program. I've learned about so many cool products for myself, my family and some that just were not right for me but perfect for a friend or co-worker.

Now that the disclosure is out of the way... my latest Bzzz campaign is for Max Factor make-up. I will be honest and say that in the past I didn’t purchased Max Factor products very often, if at all. I usually went to the department stores. Never again.

The photo above shows what came in my test kit...

1) The Lipfinity Lipstick. I hate the smell and waxy feel of most lipsticks which is why until now I've worn lip gloss only. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this lipstick!! I will not buy another brand of lipstick again. Here's why, it's a two-part application: First: you apply the color and let it set for 60 seconds. Second: you cover with the clear gloss. I've used it for 3-weeks and it has never worn off. May I remind you that I have a 12-hour day! 7:15am Coffee in the morning, lunch at noon, dinner and this lipstick is still on when I wash my face at 9:30pm each night. Throughout the day you just touch up with the moisturinzing gloss to keep the color fresh and shining.

2) Volume Couture Mascara. This is the BEST mascara I've ever used. Partly because of the tiny little brushes and partly due to the light feel - it just doesn’t clump. MY PRO TIP: blink while putting on mascara to get maximum coverage. Then use a hairdryer (cool air) and eyebrow brush to lengthen rather than an old-school eyelash curler.

3) ColorGenius Blush #110 Peaches. This is one where you can blend the colors together and get a lighter or darker look as you need it. The blush itself feels nice on my skin. And I have to admit that I like that you just get a big thing of blush and use your own brush. I honestly hate the little tiny brushes that usually come with blush. They are totally impractical and a waste of space.

Now I ask you to post a comment and let me know "What do you think of Max Factor products?"

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Open the avocado and remove the pit from the center. You can eat the fruit of the avocado, it's yummy and is full of nutrients!*

Wash the avocado pit under cool running water, you don't need soap to clean it. With your fingers gently wipe away and remove any of the green fruit that might be on the pit. Rinse it well and then blot it dry with a paper towel.

Carefully push three toothpicks into the thickest width of avocado, you want to push the toothpicks into the pit about a 1/2" deep. (It's okay if you push them in deeper or even a little less) The toothpicks will help suspend the avocado pit in water and keep the top part of the pit in fresh air and the fat base of the pit under the surface of the water. Be careful pushing in the toothpicks, they have pointy edges and could hurt if they poke your hands, it's all right to ask a grown-up to help with this.

Suspend the pit over a glass filled with water....the toothpicks will rest on the rim of the glass and hold the pit in place so it doesn't sink to the bottom. Always check the water level in the glass and see that the water is covering the fat base of the pit by about an inch depth. If the water is below that level you'll need to add some more. Slowly and carefully pour in more water from a small cup to avoid splashing.

Place the glass in a bright windowsill. In about three to six weeks the top of the avocado pit will begin to split and a stem sprout will emerge from the top and roots will begin to grow at the base.

When the stem grows to about five or six inches pinch out the top set of leaves. In another two or three weeks new leaves will sprout and their will be more roots.

It's now time to plant the young avocado tree. Place enriched potting soil in a large flowerpot (maybe 8" to 10" across). Fill the soil to about an inch from the top of the pot. Make a small depression in the center of the soil and place the pit, root-side down into the depression. Don't put it too deep...you want to have the upper half of the pit above the soil line. Add some more soil around the pit to fill in any air holes by the roots and then firm it into the soil by gently pushing the soil around the base of the pit. The tree's stem and leaves should be straight and pointing up (like a flagpole).

Give the soil a drink to water the pit. Water it generously so that the soil is thoroughly moist. Water the soil slowly and gently so that when it's poured in it doesn't gouge out holes in the soil. Keep your tree watered but don't let the soil be so moist that it ever looks like mud.

"How do I care for my avocado tree?"

Keep your tree in a sunny window, the more sun it gets the bigger it will grow.

Remember to give it frequent light waterings but don't let the soil get muddy. If the leaves turn yellow it means that the plant is getting too much watering, let the tree's soil dry out for a couple of days, then return to light waterings.

When the stem grows six more inches pinch out the top two sets of leaves. This will encourage the plant to grow side shoots and more leaves, making it bushy. Each time the plant grows another six inches pinch out the two newest sets of leaves on top.

"Can my avocado tree ever go outside?"

Yes it can go outside in the summer. If your winters are cold ~ below 45 degrees (F) or 7 degrees (C) ~ you must bring your tree inside for the winter. Otherwise, if your winters are cool and mild, the tree may stay outdoors year round.

"Will my tree ever grow fruit?"

Sometimes they will begin setting fruit after they are three or four years old. It helps to have several avocado trees growing together to aid with pollination.

"How tall will my avocado tree grow?" An avocado tree is a medium to large tall tree. It can grow between 20 and 40 feet tall. With pruning it can be kept at a much shorter height.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

So, I have a great client. I do. I have wonderful clients. This one is my favorite though. She just requested I design an e-alert news release and send it to their real estate agent interest list. Which got me thinking... hmm... we should get the word out online too.

That's when I remembered Mashable did an awesome roundup on PR sites about a year ago. I searched for it... and viola!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Friday, September 5, 2008

"The virtual scene is getting really crowded and users need a tool that helps them reduce and manage this complexity. We are now supporting 19 virtual worlds and we are going to integrate more platforms by the end of the year. The release of the Social Gateway for Virtual Worlds is the first step of a long roadmap. The way we use virtual worlds is changing, and we intend to support and foster this change." -- Francesco D’Orazio founder and CEO of Myrl

The current closed off state of virtual worlds naturally demanded the need for a FriendFeed. This is exactly what Myrl wants to be. Myrl is a web based social gateway that is designed to make the experience of using virtual worlds more interconnected.

Myrl allows people to connect their various virtual lives (i.e. your World of Kaneva account with your friend's vSide account) and interact with people who are not present on their virtual world -- yet. Myrl members could than share their virtual life on the web by creating their avatar profile and post content such as popular places, events, news and images that every user can vote on (or Myrl) to make them more visible for the rest of the community.

Currently Myrl does not support sign up to different virtual worlds right from within Myrl. Myrl is not a virtual world in its own right but rather a glue that connects these different isolated places.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Big news from the virtual world, There.com, today. It appears ready to reach for some new and broad audiences, announcing Tuesday night that it would finally be offering support for Mac OS X, as well as a new Facebook plug-in and an instant message application that can communicate directly with anyone on the Internet.

The name of the IM application on There is called ThereIM and the Facebook plug-in is called Facing There. Facing There is a way for avatars to showcase their Facebook profile.

About Me

Hi! I’m a 34 year old chica born in Pittsburgh now living in Atlanta. I’m a wife, mom, dog and cat owner. I’m a voracious reader, obsessive Googler, and I’m a fountain of useless knowledge. I’m addicted to sweet tea, shoes, and reality TV. (Hmmm... this page is turning into a stalker’s wet dream. Should I draw you a map?) In between all of the blogging, the parenting, and my wifely duties, I also work at my full time job marketing the 3D virtual world of Kaneva.

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